by FantasyLab

Fair Housing phrase guide / Familial status

Why “great place to raise a family” gets a Fair Housing caution in listings

Caution Flagged as a caution, because it often reads as a preference for, or against, a group of people.

Why

Saying a place is great "to raise a family" tells readers who the home is for. LIBOR lists "Family, great for" as prohibited and "Perfect for…" as caution, while NYPA and CRMLS accept "great for family". Describing the place (a cul-de-sac, a fenced yard) avoids the question.

Safer wording

  • call home
  • settle in

What the tag means

Caution means the phrase is on the caution side of the cited lists, or describes people in a way that usually reads as a preference. Many agents still use some of these, but describing the property instead is the safer move.

What ListingLint matches

This rule is tested against its own examples on every change. It catches great place to raise a family, and also: a great place to raise a family, an ideal spot to raise kids.

Check your own wording

1 phrase to look at

  • Caution “raise a family”

    Saying a place is great "to raise a family" tells readers who the home is for. LIBOR lists "Family, great for" as prohibited and "Perfect for…" as caution, while NYPA and CRMLS accept "great for family". Describing the place (a cul-de-sac, a fenced yard) avoids the question.

    Try: call home / settle in

A word check, not a legal review. Open the full checker for fixes, the fact lock and the MLS character count.

What the law covers here

Familial status means a household with one or more children under 18 living with a parent or legal custodian (or that person's designee). It also covers anyone who is pregnant or in the process of getting legal custody of a child. Housing that qualifies as housing for older persons has a separate exemption with its own requirements.

Sources

Related phrases

All familial status phrases on one page · The 12-check listing checklist

Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city, with some protecting more classes than federal law does. If you're unsure about a listing, ask your broker or a fair housing attorney. Rule fam-raise-family, ListingLint rules v2026.10.3.